Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a clip. More particularly, some embodiments relate to a clip for attaching an attaching article (e.g., a center cluster) to an object panel (e.g. an instrument panel).
Description of Related Art
A clip having a clip body is already known. The known clip is configured to detachably attach a center cluster (an attaching article) to an instrument panel (an object panel) of an automobile by inserting the clip body into an attaching hole formed in the instrument panel. The clip body is previously attached to a rib of a clip attaching base formed in the center cluster. Generally, the clip body is composed of two parts. The first is a clumping portion (for example, a pair of clamping strips) that is engageable with the rib of the center cluster via an engagement slot formed in the rib. The second is an elastically deformable engagement portion (for example, a pair of engagement legs) that is positioned in an outer side of the clumping portion. The clip body may be integrally formed by using synthetic resin having rigidity.
Such a clip is taught, for example, by JP 2001-271811A. As shown in FIGS. 14-17, a clip 501 taught therein has a U-shaped clip body 510 having an engagement portion 516. The clip body 510 has a clamping portion 514 formed therein. The clamping portion 514 is positioned in the engagement portion 516 and has a pair of engagement claws 514b (FIG. 15). The engagement claws 514b are arranged and constructed to engage an engagement slot 524a formed in a rib 524 of a center cluster 502 when the clip body 510 is attached to the rib 524. Further, the engagement portion 516 has a pair of elastic strips 516d that are formed in inner surfaces thereof.
In order to attach the center cluster 502 to an instrument panel 503 using the clip 501, the clip body 510 is first attached to the rib 524 of the center cluster 502 while the engagement claws 514b of the clamping portion 514 engage the engagement slot 524a formed in the rib 524. Thereafter, the clip body 510 attached to the rib 524 of the center cluster 502 is pushed into an attaching hole 530 formed in the instrument panel 503. As a result, the clip body 510 can be introduced into the attaching hole 530 while the engagement portion 516 is elastically flexed. As shown in FIG. 17, when the clip body 510 can be sufficiently inserted into the attaching hole 530, the engagement portion 516 elastically engages the attaching hole 530, so as to be securely held in the attaching hole 530. Thus, the clip body 510 can be attached to the instrument panel 503 by an elastic biasing force of the engagement portion 516. As a result, the center cluster 502 can be attached to the instrument panel 503 via the clip 501.
Generally, when the engagement portion 516 is continuously flexed by the attaching hole 530 of the instrument panel 503 for a long period of time, elasticity of the engagement portion 516 can be reduced or lost due to a heat creep phenomenon (a phenomenon specific to synthetic resin). Resultantly, a connecting force of the clip body 510 to the instrument panel 503 (i.e., a force connecting the clip body 510 to the instrument panel 503) can be reduced. Therefore, when an attached condition of the clip body 510 to the instrument panel 503 is maintained for a long period of time (i.e., a condition in which the center cluster 502 is attached to the instrument panel 503 via the clip 501 is maintained for a long period of time), the elasticity of the engagement portion 516 can be reduced. As a result, an engaging force of the engagement portion 516 to the instrument panel 503 (i.e., a force for causing the engagement portion 516 to engage the instrument panel 503) can be reduced. However, in the attached condition of the clip body 510, the elastic strips 516d formed in the engagement portion 516 are spaced from (do not contact) the rib 524 (FIG. 17). That is, the elastic strips 516d are not elastically flexed. Therefore, even if the attached condition of the clip body 510 is maintained for a long period of time, the elastic strips 516d cannot be subjected to the heat creep phenomenon. As a result, elasticity of the elastic strips 516d cannot be reduced.
When an extraction load is applied to the clip body 510 after the clip body 510 is attached for a prolonged period of time (i.e., after the heat creep phenomenon occurs in the engagement portion 516), the engagement portion 516 can be easily deformed because the elasticity thereof is reduced. However, as shown in FIG. 18, at this time, the elastic strips 516d can elastically contact the outer surface of the rib 524. Therefore, elastic biasing forces of the elastic strips 516d can act on the outer surface of the rib 524, so that reactive forces of the elastic biasing forces of the elastic strips 516d can act on the engagement portion 516 from the rib 524. The reactive forces of the elastic biasing forces of the elastic strips 516d can function to prevent the engagement portion 516 from being deformed. That is, the reactive forces of the elastic biasing forces of the elastic strips 516d can function as a new or additional engaging force of the engagement portion 516 to engage the instrument panel 503 (i.e., an additional force for causing the engagement portion 516 to engage the instrument panel 503). As a result, the connecting force of the clip body 510 to the instrument panel 503 can be effectively prevented from being reduced. Thus, the attached condition of the clip body 510 to the instrument panel 503 can be securely maintained. Therefore, even when the extraction load is applied to the clip body 510 in a condition in which the elasticity of the engagement portion 516 is reduced due to the heat creep phenomenon, the attached condition of the clip body 510 to the instrument panel 503 can be maintained.
However, in JP 2001-271811 A, the elastic strips 516d are configured to contact the outer surface of the rib 524 of the center cluster 502 in a portion 524b closer to a proximal end of the rib 524 than the engagement slot 524a (i.e., in a portion 524b lower than the engagement slot 524a) when the engagement portion 516 is elastically flexed inwardly due to the extraction load applied to the clip body 510 (FIG. 18). This means that the engagement slot 524a must be formed in a limited range between distal and proximal (upper and lower) ends of the rib 524. That is, the engagement slot 524a must be formed as a closed ended slot. Therefore, when the center cluster 502 having the rib 524 is formed by injection molding, it is necessary to use a slide die in combination with an injection molding die in order to form the engagement slot 524a in the rib 524. This may lead to increased costs for manufacturing the center cluster 502.
Thus, there is a need in the art for improved clips.